The present invention relates to an apparatus for taking off a vibratory power for use in tractors, and more particularly to an apparatus for converting the torque of the PTO shaft of a tractor to a reciprocal linear motion via a crank motion to impart vibration to a soil improving working implement, such as a subsoiler or pan-breaker, which is attached to the tractor as by a three-point link assembly.
A subsoiler, pan-breaker or like soil improving working implement is vertically movably connected to a tractor as by a three-point link assembly to improve the surface soil or subsoil which has been degraded through years of use and to thereby promote the growth of the roots of crops or render the soil permeable to air and water.
For the soil improving work, a point attached to the lower end of a standard is placed directly into the subsoil to raise, crack, break or loosen the subsoil with the point. The standard is placed into or withdrawn from the soil while driving the tractor.
Since the standard is placed into the soil to the depth of the subsoil, the tractor encounters great resistance to traction, and this resistance invariably increases with the depth of tillage. When the implement is driven at a speed of 0.7 to 0.8 m/sec, the work efficiency achieved on the field is usually about 30 to 50 acres/hour.
While catapillar-type tractors are used for the work because of the great resistance involved, wheel-type tractors are also used frequently on soft paddy fields, usually with the rear wheels equipped with weights, wheel girdles, strakes or like auxiliary means for affording increased traction.
The work can be performed at a higher speed with improved efficiency if the resistance to traction can be reduced. For this purpose, a working implement of the by-blow type has been developed in which vibration is given to the standard.
Since the tractor is designed to perform a wide variety of agricultural works by traction, rotation and hydraulic or pneumatic power, the power source of the tractor is useful for producing the vibration necessary for the by-blow type working implement. However, because the power source is used for various agricultural working implements, the apparatus for taking off the vibratory power from the tractor for the by-blow type working implement must be easily mountable on and detachable from the tractor while assuring proper and smooth take-off and transmission of the vibratory power.